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Bruce Willis a Big Justin Bieber Fan?

By Robert Pace 5:00 AM PDT, March 15, 2013

Although gritty action star Bruce Willis, who reprises his role as "Frank Moses" in the sequel to the action-comedy Red, is tough as nails on the big screen, he is said to be a gentle man in his everyday life. So gentle that he has an affection for a teenage pop singer, though?

ET visited Willis on the set of Red 2 while they were filming in London and he revealed his admiration for pop sensation Justin Bieber when his name came up during an interview.

"We would have loved to have him in [the movie]," Willis said of Bieber during a lighthearted hypothetical tangent. "...I like that guy. He's very talented. Who doesn't like Justin Bieber? Come on. He's fabulous. He's great. I like his new hairdo."

Also reprising her role for the sequel is Helen Mirren, who confirmed that Willis isn't quite as macho as his on-screen characters when she was asked about acting in a predominantly male environment.

"I know they look very butch, but they're not actually," Mirren said of the men on the cast, which include Willis, John Malkovich, and Anthony Hopkins. "They've all got a nice feminine side to them...as good actors incidentally always do. Good actors are always a nice mixture of male and female. So, I think that they all have that nice mix."

Mary-Louise Parker, whose character incidentally becomes involved with Willis' in the original Red after his phone is tapped, shed some light on why Willis stays a kind, easygoing man despite his action-packed, bravado-thrusting roles.

"Bruce Willis has such a macho image, and it's so funny because, to me, he's so sweet," Parker said. "He's such a good father and he's so invested in his daughters and that comes before everything. He completely changes if you ask him about one of his daughters."

As Mirren noted, Willis isn't the only one on the Red 2 cast who doesn't embody the qualities of his film characters. Anthony Hopkins, whose mad scientist character is new to the Red storyline, expressed relief to play a quirky character.

"To be in a movie like this for me is the best that could happen because I'm always playing these uptight characters and I'm not at all serious," Hopkins said. "I got a wacko sense of humor; I've got energy that's unstoppable. So, all these uptight bits...I've had a good career with them, but this one is different."

Check out the video for the full interviews as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the film. Red 2 is slated for release on August 2.